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Rousseff reacts to racial abuse aimed at Brazilian

Published on NewsOK
Modified: February 13, 2014 at 9:03 am •
Published: February 13, 2014

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BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has given her support to a black Brazilian player who was racially abused by Peruvian fans during a Copa Libertadores match, the most important tournament in Latin American club football.

Brazilian player Tinga, playing for Cruzeiro, was taunted with monkey chants when he entered the match in the second half on Wednesday and each time he touched the ball. The match was played in Huancayo, Peru, against Peruvian club Real Garcilaso.

Rousseff, commenting on her Twitter feed, called the incident "sad" and said "sports can never serve as a stage for prejudice."

Racist behavior is a longstanding problem at matches in Europe, particularly in eastern and southern Europe. World governing body FIFA has sponsored anti-racism campaigns that have had modest levels of success.